The present invention relates generally to telecommunication systems, and more particularly, to a system and method for evaluating and optimizing system performance of a wireless telecommunication network.
Telecommunication networks deploying various communication technologies such as Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), Code Divsion Multiple Access (CDMA), and the like, are co-existing today. Every owner or operator of a radio frequency (RF) telecommunication network, in order to thrive in the industry, has to continuously evaluate and upgrade the performance of the network. It is a never ending quest to ensure optimal RF coverage, voice quality, and capacity and hence maximize subscriber satisfaction. Evaluation and optimization of a network are costly processes for the owners or operators. Any tools or methodologies developed to mitigate this cost are extremely beneficial.
For most of telecommunication networks, there is a mobile telephone exchange (MTE) including hardware infrastructures such as base transmission stations and switches that frequently communicates through various messages with a mobile unit (MU). Communications initiated from the MTE to the MU are known to be through a forward link or a downlink, while other communications started from the MU back to the MTE are through a reverse link or a uplink. Therefore, in evaluating the performance of a network, a mobile diagnostic unit (MDU) is normally used in conjunction with a MU so that the MDU can record forward link data received by the MU. On the other end of the communication link, the MTE saves information about the reverse link data as it has perceived. The MDU contains measured parameters such as Mobile Assistant Handoff metrics based on the forward link signal quality and contains a full air interface message set for both the forward and reverse link communication. Also, the MTE usually stores only a subset of the air interface messages and is lacking in certain parameters characterizing the forward link signal quality. In any event, it is not unusual that some events or messages are lost in the communications between the MDU and the MTE so that the data collected at both ends can be different. Especially for the purpose of evaluating the performance of the network, it is extremely important for engineers to analyze both the forward link data collected by the MDU and the reverse link data saved in the infrastructure by the MTE. A MU is a device many of whose actions are controlled by the MTE, and the MTE makes such decisions in a real time fashion for actions such as a Handoff, a change in signal power level based on predetermined algorithms using various parametric data it has received from the MU. Only by studying details of this information, including communication messages and parametric data with aligned time stamps attached thereto from the perspectives of both the MDU and the MTE, are the engineers able to tell what has happened during the earlier communication that has caused unsatisfactory performance of the network and, based on such findings, adjust system parameters to optimize the network performance in the future. Moreover, optimization of RF features such as mobile power control, base station power control, and handoffs, or the like, involve a reiterative process of parameter adjustments.
A post-operation data processing system and method is thus needed to facilitate the simultaneous examination of synchronized forward and reverse link data. Additionally, it would be advantageous to provide for displaying, simultaneously from different perspectives, various network parameters during the reiterative process of parameter adjustments.
A system and method for a simultaneous examination of synchronized forward and reverse link data of a telecommunication network is provided. In one example, a radio frequency (RF) optimizer designed for time division multiple access (TDMA) technology is provided for gathering inputs from both the forward link data as saved by the MDU and the reverse link data as provided by the MTE. The optimizer merges and synchronizes these two distinct and individual data sets. The gathered and merged data, and other parametric data, can be viewed simultaneously from different perspectives, e.g., map, grid, graph, message views, with each individual perspective to be synchronized with one or more, or all others.
The system also provides the capability to view the characteristic and interaction behavior, via parametric data, of several intertwining RF features. The system thus addresses the difficulty engineers experience in adjusting the numerous radio frequency features, due to the fact that certain features interact with each other, by setting optimal parameters for one feature that may be detrimental to the other. This further ensures a better performance of a telecommunication network and brings efficiency and convenience to analyzing and optimizing the performance of the telecommunication network.
In one example, provided is a system or method for optimizing a network""s performance using a mobile diagnostic unit (MDU), the MDU storing at least one mobile data file having performance data of the network detected by a mobile unit saved therein, the network also having a mobile telephone exchange (MTE) storing at least one MTE data file which has performance data of the network saved by the MTE, where the MDU and MTE both have an instrument clock. The system or method operates to synchronize the MDU""s clock time with the MTE""s clock time; collect the at least one mobile data file from the MDU; collect the at least one MTE data file from the MTE; construct an updated MTE file registry to include the collected at least one MTE data file; query the MTE registry to match the collected at least one mobile data file to a MTE data file stored therein; synchronize the matched mobile data file and the MTE data file; merge the matched mobile and MTE data file into one integrated data file; analyze data in the integrated data file; simultaneously display the analyzed data in two or more interface views; and adjust at least one network parameter based on the analyzed data, whereby the simultaneously displayed data is depicted in such a manner that interface views are synchronized such that individually selecting a data point in any view updates respective information in all other views, and further wherein adjusting one network parameter causes an indication of simultaneous changes in related network parameters.
In another aspect, a method is provided for depicting the performance of a time division multiple access wireless telecommunication network, the network having a mobile telephone exchange (MTE) communicating to at least one mobile unit, the method comprising merging and synchronizing forward link and reverse link radio frequency parametric, message, and location data; and generating and displaying call processing events of the MTE on a detailed geographical map; wherein the call processing events are decision making steps taken by the MTE to determine necessary changes pertaining to the at least one mobile unit.
An advantage of the system is that it provides the ability to view the characteristics and interaction behavior via parametric data of several intertwining RF features of a telecommunications network. Thus, the system provides for efficiency and convenience in analyzing and optimizing the performance of the network.